Practice

As many parts of the country approach caseloads and transmission rates similar to what they faced at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, some urgent care centers are likewise returning to emergency procedures they established to help reduce risk for infection of patients and staff. Cook Children’s Hospital in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, for one, is closing many of its centers earlier than usual, funneling late-night patients to a single location. They’re also keeping patients …

Hospital systems in Texas are so overwhelmed with patients presenting with symptoms of COVID-19 that many operators have opted to close offsite emergency rooms in order to more fully staff EDs at their main sites—possibly leaving communities in the lurch when they need walk-in care not related to the virus. According to a report from the Associated Press, Memorial Hermann Health System, St. Luke’s Health, Texas Health Hospital, and Hunt Regional Healthcare all temporarily closed …

With the Delta variant continuing to increase the number of COVID-19 diagnoses and hospitalizations across the U.S., many states and cities are returning to the mask mandates that proved so controversial—and rage-inducing—earlier in the pandemic. While the problem hasn’t made headlines here yet, a report released by the British Medical Association reveals that physicians in Northern Ireland have been seeing increasing incidence of aggression from patients who refuse to wear masks during appointments. Regardless of …

Healthcare workers who have refused to get the COVID-19 have been a concern not only for patients and colleagues, but also in terms of public perception of the advisability of vaccination. To put it bluntly, they’re setting a bad example. Some municipal and state governments apparently agree, as they’ve taken steps to require certain HCWs to get the vaccine unless they qualify for specific exemptions, depending on the state. As noted in Patient Care, the …

Outside of the healthcare environment, you’d be hard pressed to find a professional who is more at risk for COVID-19 by virtue of long-term exposure to large numbers of people than teachers (especially those who teach younger children who are ineligible to receive the vaccine at this time). Those educators then share whatever exposure they’ve had with loved ones at home, of course. In spite of this, as in other settings, some teachers are begging …

As you know, some patients consider it an infringement on their constitutional rights if they’re required to wear a mask in a private business, including an urgent care center. Others are likely to choose a location over another if they know everyone will be masked. Whatever your rules are, it’s in your (and your patients’) best interest to be as transparent as possible in order to avoid conflict and continue drawing patients who will be …

As JUCM News has reported, many urgent care operators started suffering downturns in patient visits in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. It could be hard to get those patients back without a concerted effort on your part, according to an article just published by JAMA Network. The authors sought to determine the effect of targeted messaging on getting patients who had delayed care back into the doctor’s office, comparing sending a letter vs …

An urgent care physician in the San Francisco Bay area was arrested recently on suspicion of sexual battery. A patient charged that he made repeated, unwanted sexual advances and even forced himself on her three times. Local media reports raise the specter that there could be other victims yet to come forward. There’s no indication that his employer had any idea about his alleged predatory behavior, and at this point there’s no indication that they’ll …

Robust unemployment benefits may be easing the burden for people who can’t find suitable work, but they’re also having the unintended consequence of making it (maybe too) comfortable for the unemployed to stay that way. Would-be candidates are even applying for jobs they have no intention of interviewing for in order to show that they’re engaged in a “bona fide job search” in compliance with requirements to maintain unemployment benefits. The effect is being felt …

Recently, we told you about an emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to ensure the safety of healthcare workers—including your urgent care team—in the COVID-19 era. Since then, the ETS has been published in the Federal Register and the date for requiring compliance has been set at July 5. As a reminder the ETS mandates that: You conduct a hazard assessment and have a written plan to mitigate virus …